Commonwealth v. Medeiros

In this criminal case, the defendant was convicted of rape of a child with force, assault and battery, and aggravated rape, with the only evidence supporting aggravation being that the rape was committed as part of a joint venture. His codefendant, who is not a party to this appeal, was convicted only of *572assault and battery, and not of rape.1 The defendant contends that his conviction of aggravated rape cannot stand in light of his co-defendant’s acquittal on the rape charges, and that his trial counsel was ineffective.

I

We summarize the evidence in the light most favorable to the…